Pages

Friday, 12 August 2016

The Surprising Truth about our brains..

Understanding the Myth of Left Brain and Right
Brain Dominance

Have you ever heard people say that they tend to be more of a right-brain or
left-brain thinker? From books to television programs, you've probably heard
the phrase mentioned numerous times or perhaps you've even taken an online test
to determine which type best describes you. You've probably spotted at least a
few infographics on Pinterest or Facebook claiming to reveal your dominant
brain hemisphere.

You've probably also come across a few articles or books suggesting you can
unleash the hidden creativity of right brain thinking or the deductive logic of
left brain thinking.

People who identify as left-brain thinkers might feel that
they have strong math and logic skills. Those who profess to be right-brain
thinkers, on the other hand, feel that their talents are more on the
creative side of things. Given the popularity of the idea of
"right-brained" and "left-brained" thinkers, it might
surprise you learn that this idea is just one of many myths about the brain.

What Is Left Brain - Right Brain Theory?

According to the theory of left-brain or right-brain dominance, each side of
the brain controls different types of thinking. Additionally, people are said
to prefer one type of thinking over the other. For example, a person who is
"left-brained" is often said to be more logical, analytical, and
objective.

A person who is "right-brained" is said to be more
intuitive, thoughtful, and subjective.

In psychology, the theory is based on the lateralization of brain
function. The brain contains two hemispheres that each performs a
number of roles. The two sides of the brain communicate with one another via
corpus callosum.
The left hemisphere controls the muscles on the right side of the body while
the right hemisphere controls those on the left. This is why damage to the left
side of the brain, for example, might have an effect on the left side of the
body.
So does one side of the brain control specific functions? Are people either
left-brained or right-brained? Like many popular psychology myths, this one
grew out of observations of the human brain that were then dramatically
distorted and exaggerated.
The right brain-left brain theory originated in the work of Roger W. Sperry,
who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1981. While studying the effects of
epilepsy, Sperry discovered that cutting the corpus callosum (the structure
that connects the two hemispheres of the brain) could reduce or eliminate
seizures.
However, these patients also experienced other symptoms after the
communication pathway between the two sides of the brain was cut. For example,
many split-brain patients found themselves unable to name objects that were
processed by the right side of the brain but were able to name objects that
were processed by the left-side of the brain.

Based on this information, Sperry suggested that language was controlled by the
left-side of the brain.

Generally speaking, the left side of the brain tends to control many aspects
of language and logic, while the right side tends to handle spatial information
and visual comprehension.
Later research has shown that the brain is not nearly as dichotomous as once
thought. For example, research has shown that abilities in subjects such as
math are strongest when both halves of the brain work together. Today,
neuroscientists know that the two sides of the brain collaborate to perform a
broad variety of tasks and that the two hemispheres communicate through the
corpus callosum.
"No matter how lateralized the brain can get, though, the two sides
still work together," science writer Carl Zimmer explained in an article
for Discover magazine. "The pop psychology notion of a left brain
and a right brain doesn’t capture their intimate working relationship. The left
hemisphere specializes in picking out the sounds that form words and working
out the syntax of the phrase, for example, but it does not have a monopoly on
language processing. The right hemisphere is more sensitive to the emotional
features of language, tuning-in to the slow rhythms of speech that carry
intonation and stress."
In one study by researchers at the University of Utah, more 1,000
participants had their brains analyzed in order to determine if they preferred
using one side over the other. The study revealed that while activity was
sometimes higher in certain critical regions, both sides of the brain were
essentially equal in their activity on average.
“It’s absolutely true that some brain functions occur in one or the other
side of the brain. Language tends to be on the left, attention more on the
right. But people don’t tend to have a stronger left- or right-sided brain
network. It seems to be determined more connection by connection,"
explained the study's lead author Dr. Jeff Anderson.
While the idea of right brain / left brain thinkers has been debunked, its
popularity persists. So what exactly did this theory suggest?

The Right Brain

According to the left-brain, right-brain dominance theory, the right side of
the brain is best at expressive and creative tasks. Some of the abilities
popularly associated with the right side of the brain include:

Recognizing
faces

Expressing
emotions

Music

Reading
emotions

Color

Images

Intuition

Creativity

The Left Brain

The left-side of the brain is considered to be adept at tasks that involve
logic, language, and analytical thinking. The left-brain is described as being
better at:

Language

Logic

Critical
thinking

Numbers

Reasoning

So Why Do People Still Talk About Right-Brain, Left-Brain Theory?

Researchers have demonstrated that right-brain/left-brain theory is a myth,
yet its popularity persists. Why? Unfortunately, many people are likely unaware
that the theory is outdated.
Today, students might continue to learn about the theory as a point of
historical interest - to understand how our ideas about how the brain
works have evolved and changed over time as researchers have learned more about
how the brain operates.
While over-generalized and overstated by popular psychology and self-help
texts, understanding your strengths and weaknesses in certain areas can help
you develop better ways to learn and study. For example, students who have a
difficult time following verbal instructions (often cited as a right-brain
characteristic) might benefit from writing down directions and developing
better organizational skills. The important thing to remember if you take
one of the many left brain/right brain quizzes that you will likely encounter
online is that they are entirely for fun and you shouldn't place much stock in
your results.